Joan Lestor
Encyclopedia
Joan Lestor, Baroness Lestor of Eccles (13 November 1931 – 27 March 1998) was a British Labour
politician.
Lestor was educated at Blaenavon
Secondary School, Monmouth
; William Morris High School, Walthamstow
and the University of London
. She became a nursery school teacher and a member of the Socialist Party of Great Britain
, but resigned from the latter over the Turner Controversy
. She became a councillor in 1958 on the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth
and later the London Borough of Wandsworth
. She served on London County Council
(1962–64).
Lestor contested Lewisham West in 1964 and was elected Member of Parliament
for Eton and Slough
in 1966.
She was briefly a junior minister from 1969-70 with responsibility for nursery education. In April 1974 she became a junior minister in the Foreign Office and in 1975 moved back to Education. In 1976 she resigned over cuts.
Lestor was one of the founding editors of anti-fascist monthly, Searchlight, though that magazine had only a tenuous connection to the current publication
.
After boundary changes in 1983, Lestor contested the new constituency of Slough
but was defeated by the Conservative candidate John Watts
. She was later returned for Eccles
in 1987, and held this seat until 1997.
On 4 June 1997, she was created a life peer
as Baroness Lestor of Eccles, of Tooting Bec in the London Borough of Wandsworth
.
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician.
Lestor was educated at Blaenavon
Blaenavon
Blaenavon is a town and World Heritage Site in south eastern Wales, lying at the source of the Afon Lwyd north of Pontypool, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. The town lies high on a hillside and has a population of 6,349 people...
Secondary School, Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
; William Morris High School, Walthamstow
Walthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
and the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. She became a nursery school teacher and a member of the Socialist Party of Great Britain
Socialist Party of Great Britain
The Socialist Party of Great Britain , is a small Marxist political party within the impossibilist tradition. It is best known for its advocacy of using the ballot box for revolutionary purposes; opposition to reformism; and its early adoption of the theory of state capitalism to describe the...
, but resigned from the latter over the Turner Controversy
Turner Controversy
The Turner Controversy is a name given to a dispute within the Socialist Party of Great Britain regarding the nature of socialism instigated by Tony Turner...
. She became a councillor in 1958 on the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth
Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth
The Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth was a Metropolitan borough under the London County Council, from 1900 to 1965.The borough was formed from five civil parishes: Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting Graveney and Wandsworth...
and later the London Borough of Wandsworth
London Borough of Wandsworth
The London Borough of Wandsworth is a London borough in southwest London, England, and forms part of Inner London.-History:The borough was formed in 1965 from the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea and much of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth, but...
. She served on London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
(1962–64).
Lestor contested Lewisham West in 1964 and was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Eton and Slough
Eton and Slough (UK Parliament constituency)
Eton and Slough was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
in 1966.
She was briefly a junior minister from 1969-70 with responsibility for nursery education. In April 1974 she became a junior minister in the Foreign Office and in 1975 moved back to Education. In 1976 she resigned over cuts.
Lestor was one of the founding editors of anti-fascist monthly, Searchlight, though that magazine had only a tenuous connection to the current publication
Searchlight (magazine)
Searchlight is a British anti-fascist magazine, founded in 1975 by Gerry Gable, which publishes exposés about racism, antisemitism, and fascism in the UK....
.
After boundary changes in 1983, Lestor contested the new constituency of Slough
Slough (UK Parliament constituency)
Slough is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
but was defeated by the Conservative candidate John Watts
John Arthur Watts
John Arthur Watts was a Conservative Party Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom House of Commons between 1983 and 1997....
. She was later returned for Eccles
Eccles (UK Parliament constituency)
Eccles was a parliamentary constituency of the United Kingdom, centred on the town of Eccles in Greater Manchester, England. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.- History :The constituency...
in 1987, and held this seat until 1997.
On 4 June 1997, she was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baroness Lestor of Eccles, of Tooting Bec in the London Borough of Wandsworth
London Borough of Wandsworth
The London Borough of Wandsworth is a London borough in southwest London, England, and forms part of Inner London.-History:The borough was formed in 1965 from the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea and much of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth, but...
.